Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy made sure to let his former team, the Denver Broncos, know they made a mistake in trading him during the offseason.
Denver shipped Jeudy, the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, to Cleveland on March 13 in exchange for a fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. And while he’s had a solid season 11 games into the year, Jeudy had has coming-out party against his former team on “Monday Night Football.”
Jeudy went off for a career-high nine catches and 235 yards plus a touchdown in Cleveland’s 41-32 loss, and he wrote his name in the NFL records books in the process, logging the most receiving yards by any player against his former team.
Jeudy’s career day came at the expense of the Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who inexplicably let the 25-year-old wideout have a career game because of some questionable defensive assignments.
While covered by Patrick Surtain II, Jeudy totaled two receptions on three targets for 20 yards. But while he was covered by all other defensive backs (mainly Levi Wallace), Jeudy logged seven catches on 10 targets for 215 yards and a TD, per NextGen Stats.
Not having Surtain cover Jeudy for the entire game was a head-scratching decision — one that led to Joseph getting ripped to shreds on social media.
“Vance Joseph would’ve single-handedly cost us the game tonight with his lack of putting our top corner on Jeudy the whole game. Probably Joseph’s worst game this season. Like almost Miami bad when it comes to total lack of awareness, one fan wrote.
“Seriously what on earth was Vance Joseph thinking?? There was absolutely no reason to have anyone else on Jeudy,” another chimed in.
“Vance Joseph is just as big of a [expletive] as Wallace was tonight. Making millions of dollars but don’t have enough common sense to just stick Surtain on Jeudy. Tonight was maddening. I literally couldn’t believe what I was watching,” a third fan exclaimed.
“This was abysmal coaching & game management from the Broncos. I can’t think of anything more egregious even through the Hackett era,” remarked another.
“Broncos DC should be fired for not put Surtain on an island against opp WR1 100% of the snaps,” one user added.
“The fact Surtain didn't mirror him the entire game is criminal,” another user stated.
Jeudy leads the Browns in receptions (54), targets (91), and receiving yards (880), and he’s ranks second in touchdowns (three). Jeudy is also tied for fifth in the NFL in receiving yards.
